Mental Health Being
Supporting those at sea often means witnessing distressing events — moments of fear,
loss, or uncertainty that can affect mental and emotional balance. Mental well-being is not
the absence of distress, but the ability to recover, adapt, and continue functioning afterchallenging experiences.
This section offers resources to better understand psychological well-being in maritime contexts, including testimonies from seafarers, practical guidelines, and visual tools explaining common emotional reactions and trauma.
We will explore what trauma is, how the body and mind respond to stress, and what can be done — individually or as a team — to promote mental resilience. Most importantly, this space aims to normalize emotional reactions and remind all maritime professionals that caring for others begins with caring for oneself.
Recognized Psychological and Physical Responses in SAR Contexts
Acute stress during rescue operations
In high-risk interventions, the body enters a fast-response survival mode (adrenaline surge, accelerated breathing, narrowed focus). This enables rapid action but often leaves short-term physical traces once the situation is over (shaking, tension headaches, trouble falling asleep).
Impact of exposure to critical scenes
Encountering severely injured persons, fatalities — or an empty boat that implies loss — can trigger intense internal responses: intrusive images, guilt, anger, emotional numbness, as well as physical symptoms such as chest tightness or stomach pain. These are common reactions to extreme scenes.
Delayed onset of reactions
Psychological and physical effects rarely peak “on the spot”. They often emerge later, once the operational pressure drops: irritability, sleep disruption, hyper-alertness, or diffuse physical pain with no clear medical cause. A delayed response is a known and typical pattern.
Effect of repeated exposure over time
What challenges the nervous system most is not a single event but the accumulation of demanding missions without time to recover. When stress cycles repeat without decompression, the load can exceed the body’s capacity to regulate, leading to emotional exhaustion and persistent physical strain.
Existing Support Channels
There are already independent organisations providing confidential support to seafarers. One well-known example is ISWAN, which offers 24/7 helplines, guidance and practical welfare assistance for those experiencing stress, isolation or distress at sea. Their services are accessible anonymously and without financial barriers for seafarers inneed.
